Misplaced Heirloom

The hunt for a Mother's lost bridal veil

Photos

Veil on Marguerite Mascola's wedding day.

Veil on Meredith Lydon's wedding day.

By Megan LaTorre

Sparta — In 2007, Meredith Lydon wore her mother, Marguerite Mascola’s veil to her wedding at Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon. It was the very same veil that her mother had worn on her wedding day 42 years ago.

After the wedding Mascola, wanting to preserve what had become an heirloom, now passed down through two generations, brought the veil to be preserved.

Now, Mascola’s son is engaged. He and his fiancé, Christy Walls have an October wedding planned.

With their wedding approaching, Walls expressed a desire to wear Mascola’s veil as well.

One weekend when the couple visited Mascola, she opened the box containing the preserved veil to show Walls.

To everyone’s surprise and dismay, it was discovered the wrong veil had been given to them.

Having originally purchased the veil for her traditional ceremony at Priscilla of Boston, Mascola was married in Clark, NJ at Saint John’s Church on March 19, 1972. At the time, the cathedral veil had a headpiece for one’s hair to fit into and lace appliqué in the shape of flowers.

“That was what originally caught my attention,” Mascola said, when speaking of the first time she saw the veil. “It was because I could put my hair into it.”

The veil, however, underwent significant changes since Mascola’s 1972 wedding. When Lydon had expressed a desire to wear her mother’s veil at her wedding, the blusher was removed and a lace trim, purchased in Italy, was added along the edges of the veil. In addition, the veil was changed so that it clipped into the hair, thereby becoming a subtler accessory.

All of these changes modernized the veil, while still maintaining its original elegant beauty.

“I put it in the cedar closet,” Mascola said, “and thought, perhaps, one day someone else in our family would wear it.”

Mascola and her family hope to attain their lost bridal veil in time for her son and future daughter-in-law’s October wedding.

The preservation took place in 2007. Mascola and her family have requested that if the people of Sparta had a bridal veil preserved that same year at Centre Cleaners, if they would be willing to see if they have been accidentally given Mascola’s lost heirloom.

If you discover a veil similar to the description or pictures contact Marguerite Mascola at mmob49@yahoo.com, and help them in their race against time for the upcoming October wedding.